Employment statistics — Ethiopian-Israeli community
8 employment figures from official sources — CBS, ENP, State Comptroller, Bank of Israel. Yearly update.
Data current as of: 2023-2024
Employment rate in the Ethiopian-Israeli community
62%62% of community members aged 25-64 are employed — compared with 78% in the general Jewish population. The gap is similar between 1st and 2nd generation and primarily reflects market barriers (academia, starting-salary gap).
Source: CBS Annual Statistical Abstract 2024 — Ethiopian-Israeli Tables · 2024
Median monthly wage
₪10,800Median wage in the community stood at ~₪10,800 in 2023 — vs ₪13,400 economy-wide. The gap is most pronounced in tech, finance, and senior public-sector roles.
Source: CBS Income Survey 2023 · 2024
Unemployment rate
5.4%Community unemployment rate: 5.4% — slightly above the national 3.9%. The gap is most visible among 25-34-year-olds in the first year after IDF/university.
Source: CBS Labor Force Survey 2024 · 2024
Civil-service representation
1.7%1.7% of civil-service positions are filled by Ethiopian-Israeli community members — the Civil Service Commission target is 2.5% by 2027 (Order 50). 70% of ministries are below 1.5%; the Aliyah Ministry (5.1%) and Education Ministry (3.2%) lead.
Source: State Comptroller Annual Report 2023 — Civil Service Diversity · 2023
Graduates → relevant employment
76%76% of community bachelor's grads are employed in field-relevant work within 12 months of graduating — vs 84% in the general Jewish population.
Source: ENP Impact Report 2023 · 2023
Ethiopian-Israeli-owned businesses
~3,800~3,800 active Ethiopian-Israeli-owned businesses (1.2% of the economy) — vs 5% population-wide. 67% survive their first year vs 73% nationally; the gap closes significantly with mentorship support (UJIA-KIEDF, ScaleUp Velocity).
Source: Israel Small Business Authority — Diversity Report 2024 · 2024
Community gender gap
21%21% wage gap between women and men in the community — close to the national gap (24%) but still double-digit. Community women are less represented (-30%) in fields requiring advanced degrees.
Source: CBS Income Survey 2023 — Gender Tables · 2024
1st vs 2nd generation — wages
+34%2nd generation earns 34% more than 1st generation on average — but still 19% below the national average. The gap closes among bachelor's grads (only 8% remaining) and widens among those without academic education.
Source: Bank of Israel — Community Mobility Study 2023 · 2023
Figures are updated yearly from official publications. If you spot an inaccuracy or want to suggest a source — get in touch.
